Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has been ruled out for up to six weeks after breaking a finger.

The 24-year-old fractured a finger on his left hand after attempting to take a ball from Liam Plunkett in the three-day friendly against Northamptonshire. Scans have confirmed Bairstow will miss the first four matches of the new LV County Championship campaign, starting on Sunday at Somerset. Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie hopes Bairstow will be fit for club and country as soon as possible.

Gillespie told his club's official website: "It is a devastating blow for Jonny. He has been working incredibly hard to put in some strong performances for Yorkshire during the early part of the season to enhance his England credentials. It is a great shame for him and I know that he is really disappointed with the news."

Hopes are high that Bairstow will be fit for England's first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on 12 June.

Gillespie continued: "He will be working hard on his rehab and we remain hopeful that if the fracture can heal quickly he could be back sooner. It was an innocuous injury. In these circumstances Jonny would take that ball a hundred times without any problems. Things like this can happen in professional sport.

"It is how you deal with it that matters most and I know that with his [Bairstow] positivity, he will be chomping at the bit to get back to playing for Yorkshire as soon as possible."